List of best-selling singles worldwide facts for kids
Have you ever wondered which songs have sold the most copies around the world? This article lists the best-selling music singles of all time. A "single" is usually a song released on its own, separate from an album. To be on these lists, a song must have sold at least 10 million copies worldwide.
The information here comes from trusted sources like newspapers, magazines, and books.
According to Guinness World Records, the song "White Christmas" sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single ever. It was released in 1942 and has sold over 50 million copies! This song was popular even before music charts started in the 1950s. It was listed as the world's best-selling single in the very first Guinness Book of Records in 1955 and still holds the title today.
Another huge seller is "Candle in the Wind 1997"/"Something About the Way You Look Tonight" by Elton John. This song was re-released in 1997 as a tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales. It has sold 33 million copies, making it the second best-selling physical single since charts began.
This article shows two main lists:
- Physical singles: These are songs sold on things you can hold, like CDs and vinyl records.
- Digital singles: These are songs bought as downloads or listened to through streaming services. Digital sales became popular in the early 2000s.
Contents
Top-Selling Physical Singles
These are songs that were mainly sold on CDs or vinyl records.
Songs with 15 Million Copies or More
| Artist | Song | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bing Crosby | "White Christmas" | 1942 | 50 | |
| Elton John | "Something About the Way You Look Tonight"/"Candle in the Wind 1997" | 1997 | 33 | |
| Bing Crosby | "Silent Night" | 1935 | 30 | |
| Tino Rossi | "Petit Papa Noël" | 1946 | 30 | |
| Bill Haley & His Comets | "Rock Around the Clock" | 1954 | 25 | |
| Whitney Houston | "I Will Always Love You" | 1992 | 24 | |
| Elvis Presley | "It's Now or Never" | 1960 | 20 | |
| USA for Africa | "We Are the World" | 1985 | 20 | |
| The Ink Spots | "If I Didn't Care" | 1939 | 19 | |
| Celine Dion | "My Heart Will Go On" | 1997 | 18 | |
| Mariah Carey | "All I Want For Christmas Is You" | 1994 | 16 | |
| Baccara | "Yes Sir, I Can Boogie" | 1977 | 16 | |
| Bryan Adams | "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" | 1991 | 15 | |
| John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John | "You're the One That I Want" | 1978 | 15 |
Songs with 10 to 14.9 Million Copies
| Artist | Song | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitney Houston | "I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me)" | 1987 | 14 | |
| The Andrews Sisters | "Bei Mir Bist Du Schön" | 1937 | 14 | |
| Scorpions | "Wind of Change" | 1991 | 14 | |
| Prince Nico Mbarga | "Sweet Mother" | 1976 | 13 | |
| Kyu Sakamoto | "Sukiyaki" | 1963 | 13 | |
| Gene Autry | "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" | 1949 | 12.5 | |
| The Beatles | "I Want to Hold Your Hand" | 1963 | 12 | |
| Andrea Bocelli and Sarah Brightman | "Time to Say Goodbye" | 1996 | 12 | |
| Village People | "Y.M.C.A." | 1978 | 12 | |
| Band Aid | "Do They Know It's Christmas?" | 1984 | 11.7 | |
| Los del Río | "Macarena" | 1995 | 11 | |
| Cher | "Believe" | 1998 | 11 | |
| Carl Douglas | "Kung Fu Fighting" | 1974 | 11 | |
| George McCrae | "Rock Your Baby" | 1974 | 11 | |
| Mills Brothers | "Paper Doll" | 1943 | 11 | |
| Roger Whittaker | "The Last Farewell" | 1975 | 11 | |
| ABBA | "Fernando" | 1976 | 10 | |
| Roy Acuff | "Wabash Cannonball" | 1942 | 10 | |
| Paul Anka | "Diana" | 1957 | 10 | |
| Toni Braxton | "Un-Break My Heart" | 1996 | 10 | |
| George Harrison | "My Sweet Lord" | 1970 | 10 | |
| Middle of the Road | "Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep" | 1971 | 10 | |
| The Monkees | "I'm a Believer" | 1966 | 10 | |
| Panjabi MC | "Mundian To Bach Ke" | 1998 | 10 | |
| Patti Page | "Tennessee Waltz" | 1950 | 10 | |
| The Penguins | "Earth Angel" | 1954 | 10 | |
| Elvis Presley | "Hound Dog" | 1956 | 10 | |
| Procol Harum | "A Whiter Shade of Pale" | 1967 | 10 | |
| Boney M. | "Rivers of Babylon" | 1978 | 10 | |
| Britney Spears | "...Baby One More Time" | 1998 | 10 | |
| The Knack | "My Sharona" | 1979 | 10 |
Top-Selling Digital Singles
These songs are popular through digital downloads and streaming.
Songs with 15 Million Digital Copies or More
| Artist | Song | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ed Sheeran | "Shape of You" | 2017 | 41.5 | |
| Luis Fonsi featuring Daddy Yankee | "Despacito" | 2017 | 36.1 | |
| Rihanna featuring Drake | "Work" | 2016 | 32.5 | |
| The Chainsmokers and Coldplay | "Something Just Like This" | 2017 | 21.5 | |
| Ed Sheeran | "Perfect" | 2017 | 21.4 | |
| Wiz Khalifa featuring Charlie Puth | "See You Again" | 2015 | 20.9 | |
| The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey | "Closer" | 2016 | 20.7 | |
| Adele | "Rolling in the Deep" | 2011 | 20.6 | |
| Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars | "Uptown Funk" | 2015 | 20 | |
| Billie Eilish | "Bad Guy" | 2019 | 19.5 | |
| Ed Sheeran | "Thinking Out Loud" | 2015 | 19.5 | |
| Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug | "Havana" | 2017 | 19.0 | |
| Lil Nas X | "Old Town Road" | 2018 | 18.4 | |
| Carly Rae Jepsen | "Call Me Maybe" | 2011 | 18.0 | |
| Taylor Swift | "Love Story" | 2008 | 18.0 | |
| Adele | "Someone Like You" | 2011 | 17.0 | |
| Rihanna | "Needed Me" | 2016 | 17.0 | |
| Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello | "Señorita" | 2019 | 16.1 | |
| Imagine Dragons | "Radioactive" | 2012 | 16 | |
| "Believer" | 2017 | 15.4 | ||
| Drake | "God's Plan" | 2018 | 15.3 |
Songs with 10 to 14.99 Million Digital Copies
| Artist | Song | Released | Sales (in millions) |
Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell | "Blurred Lines" | 2013 | 14.8 | |
| Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera | "Moves Like Jagger" | 2011 | 14.4 | |
| Kesha | "Tik Tok" | 2009 | 14 | |
| Lady Gaga | "Poker Face" | 2008 | 14 | |
| Pharrell Williams | "Happy" | 2013 | 13.9 | |
| Maroon 5 | "Sugar" | 2015 | 13.5 | |
| Post Malone and Swae Lee | "Sunflower" | 2018 | 13.4 | |
| Macklemore and Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz | "Thrift Shop" | 2012 | 13.4 | |
| Ariana Grande | "7 Rings" | 2019 | 13.3 | |
| Katy Perry featuring Juicy J | "Dark Horse" | 2013 | 13.2 | |
| Major Lazer & DJ Snake featuring MØ | "Lean On" | 2015 | 13.1 | |
| Gotye featuring Kimbra | "Somebody That I Used to Know" | 2011 | 13 | |
| Ellie Goulding | "Love Me like You Do" | 2015 | 12.6 | |
| Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla | "One Dance" | 2016 | 12.5 | |
| Bruno Mars | "Just the Way You Are" | 2010 | 12.5 | |
| Adele | "Hello" | 2015 | 12.3 | |
| John Legend | "All of Me" | 2013 | 12.3 | |
| Jason Mraz | "I'm Yours" | 2008 | 12.2 | |
| Flo Rida featuring Kesha | "Right Round" | 2009 | 12 | |
| Flo Rida featuring T-Pain | "Low" | 2007 | 12 | |
| Lady Gaga | "Bad Romance" | 2009 | 12 | |
| Maroon 5 featuring Cardi B | "Girls Like You" | 2018 | 11.9 | |
| Justin Bieber | "Love Yourself" | 2015 | 11.7 | |
| Tones and I | "Dance Monkey" | 2019 | 11.4 | |
| Avicii featuring Aloe Blacc | "Wake Me Up" | 2013 | 11.1 | |
| Sia featuring Sean Paul | "Cheap Thrills" | 2016 | 11.1 | |
| Meghan Trainor | "All About That Bass" | 2014 | 11 | |
| Tia Ray | "Be Apart" | 2018 | 10.9 | |
| Idina Menzel | "Let It Go" | 2013 | 10.9 | |
| Justin Bieber | "Sorry" | 2015 | 10.8 | |
| Lukas Graham | "7 Years" | 2015 | 10.4 | |
| Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber | "I Don't Care" | 2019 | 10.3 | |
| Lady Gaga and Bradley Cooper | "Shallow" | 2018 | 10.2 | |
| The Chainsmokers featuring Daya | "Don't Let Me Down" | 2016 | 10.2 | |
| Lorde | "Royals" | 2013 | 10 | |
| Bruno Mars | "Grenade" | 2010 | 10.2 | |
| Mike Posner | "I Took a Pill in Ibiza" | 2015 | 10 | |
| Shakira featuring Freshlyground | "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)" | 2010 | 10 | |
| Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean | "Hips Don't Lie" | 2006 | 10 | |
| Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis | "Just Dance" | 2008 | 10 |
See also
In Spanish: Anexo:Sencillos más vendidos en el mundo para niños
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
List of best-selling singles worldwide Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.